William f



(N0 Mdel.)

- W. F. GRASSLER.

KNOGKDOWN TABLE.

No. 562,133. Patented Jun 16, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM F. GRASSLER, OF vVILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OFTlVO-THIRDS TO B. A. IIOFFNAGLE AND J. L. GUINTER, OF SAME PLACE.

KNOCKDOWN TABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 562,133, dated June 16,1896. 7

Application filed August 17,1895. Serial N0. 559,650. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. GRASSLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Williamsport,in the county of Lycoming and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inKnockdown Tables, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompa nying drawings.

This invention relates to that class of tables known as knockdowntables, wherein the legs are clamped removably in place at the cornersof the frame in order that the table may be shipped in a compactcondition and readily set up at its destination; and the obj ect of thepresent improvement is to provide improved means for removably clampingthe legs in place, as more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a horizontal section of one corner of a'table provided with my improvements; Fig. 2, a vertical section thereof5 Fig. 3, a detail perspective of the upper end of the leg provided withmy device; and Fig. 4, a plan view of one corner of the table, thetable-top being removed.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 is the table-leg; 2, the sidepieces of the table, against whose ends the sides of the leg abut in theusual manner, and 3 a diagonal brace connecting the side pieces rigidly,said brace being either of metal, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or of wood,as shown in Fig. 4. Secured on the inner, beveled corner of the leg is avertical bar 4, which is provided about midway its length with aprojection 5, which extends horizontally inward and is threaded for thereception of a nut 6, said projection passing through a hole in thecorner brace, whereby by simply screwing up the nut the leg may be drawntightly into place against-the ends of the side pieces. The vertical bar4 is secured to the leg by means of an outwardlyprojecting arm 7, formedintegral with its upper end and having a dovetail form and let into adovetail recess in the upper end of the leg, the upper face of the armand bar coming substantially flush with the top of the table-leg. One ormore screws 8 may be passed through openings in the arm 7 and screwedinto the table-leg in order to hold the arm in its dovetail recess, andthe lower end of the bar may be flattened and provided with an openingfor the passage of a screw 9 to further assist in rigidly securing thebar to the leg.

It will be observed that the bar 41 and its connected parts may bereadily cast in one piece and its projection afterward threaded, therebyreducing the costto a minimum.

The special advantage of this invention lies in the fact that it doesaway with the usual lag-bolts and hanger-bolts which are screwed intothe leg, thereby weakening the leg and frequently splitting it. By thisdevice tablelegs may be used where, on account of knots andimperfections, it would be impossible to employ the usual bolts.

It will also be observed that the greater part of the strainwhen the legis drawn into the corner of the table will come upon the dovetail plateset in the upper end of the table-leg, relieving almost entirely thescrew 9, whereby the device will be applicable to small and delicatetables.

It will also be observed that very-little if any strain will come uponthe screws 8, as the dovetail plate will be held down in its recess bythe table-top, as is evident.

Another feature which adapts this device for use on the finer class oftables is that it requires but a slight portion of the inner corner ofthe leg to be cut away. In fact, the device may be used without cuttingaway any part of the leg except the recess for the dovetail arm andperhaps a small notch for the part carrying screw 9.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is In a knockdowntable, the combination of a table-leg having a dovetail recess formed inits upper end face, the side pieces and'a corner-brace connecting them,an upright bar carrying an inwardly-extendin g threaded projection,passing through the brace, and at its upper end an outwardly-extendingdovetail arm fitted in the recess in the upper end face of the leg,fastening devices passed down through the dovetail arm, and means forfas-* tening the lower end of the bar to the leg, and a nut screwed onthe threaded projection and bearing against the brace, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

VILLIAM F. GRASSLER.

\Vitnesses 7M. RUSSELL DEEMER, CLEMENT T. PAINE.

